Dozens of bars, caf?s, clubs and restaurants are situated in Soho and
Covent Garden; the best way to explore is to cruise around on foot,
although a few venues stand out. Bar Rumba ,
one of the best dance clubs in town, plays host to a series of
excellent one-nighters: Monday has jazz, funk and drum ‘n’ bass;
Tuesday, Latin; it’s deep house on Wednesday; drum ‘n’ bass on
Thursday; New Skool beats on Friday; and garage on Saturday. Each night
is among the best of its type. Equally popular is The Wag , a
stylish club on three floors that similarly plays host to a wide
variety of music. Midweek sees indie-rock nights; Friday, an ’80s retro
session; while ‘Blow Up’ is one of the best parties around on Saturday,
a night that takes its inspiration from ’60s soul and pop, but that
plays all kinds of ‘lounge’ tunes and big beat too.
The Velvet Room ,
on Charing Cross Road, is a luxuriously appointed ‘club bar’ that also
hosts an excellent drum ‘n’ bass Wednesday-nighter (‘Swerve’) and a
great techno and deep house night on Thursdays (‘Ultimate BASE’).
Stylish ‘club’ clothes should normally guarantee admission. Nearby,
opposite the Centrepoint building, is LA2 , home to ‘Carwash’ on
Saturdays, the best disco night in town but one for which you must
dress the part (ie like an extra from Saturday Night Fever).
July 30, 2010
Soho & Covent Garden clubs
June 20, 2010
Tanjas Nachtclub
Immerse yourself in the unpredictable world of alternative Berlin cabaret at this new show at one of the city’s most talked-about venues. Hosted by chanson singer and gay party promoter Tanja Ries, the bash takes place every Sunday night at the Trompete, a classy subterranean lounge-bar which is owned by one of Germany’s most famous actors, Ben Becker. With appearances expected by a host of Berlin stars, Tanjas Nachtclub runs the gamut of cabaret entertainment, absorbing everything from literature and performance to stand-up and sketches. In German.
April 14, 2010
Lisa Yuskavage
The ICA presents Philadelphia native Lisa Yuskavage’s provocative paintings in her first solo museum exhibition. Yuskavage’s work has been openly criticised as unsettling and seductive, as she creates images that simultaneously embrace and undermine traditional and formalistic painting methodology. Yet her insightful work has been represented in over 50 group shows, including recent exhibitions at the MoMA New York and San Francisco MoMA. This exhibition features 18 large-scale paintings, a series of hydrocal-cast figurines and over 40 supporting smaller works on paper.
March 31, 2010
24
This new Czech film takes on a favourite subject, how the roads and open spaces of Bohemia tend to become major characters in themselves, giving actors a run for their money. David Beranek’s feature follows a thief and a stripper on the run from the mob who are thrown together and forced to hit the road in the Czech Republic’s lyrically beautiful eastern province of Moravia. Heavily psychological and very atmospheric, the film is a study in mood, slow pacing and the search for meaning in an increasingly consumer-mad society. An intriguing and very non-commercial look from a fresh new ensemble, with English subtitles and selected cinemas.
March 8, 2010
March 2, 2010
Patrick McMullan
Budapest’s resident Irish musician Patrick McMullan has been drawing crowds in local venues for years with his band, the Irish Rovers of Budapest. McMullan has also cut a solo album, ‘Down and Out in Belfast and Budapest’. His music features traditional arrangements of old Irish tunes, as well as his own compositions inspired by Irish folk. While the Rovers sometimes strayed toward a rock sound, McMullan’s solo act seems more likely to please folk purists.
February 21, 2010
Twentieth Century Sculpture
While the exhibition clearly focuses on the achievements of the twin fathers of modern statuary – Rodin and Picasso – it does not ignore other greats of the last century such as Max Ernst, Henry Moore, Lucio Fontana and, star of the Tate Modern, Louise Bourgeois. Although there won’t be many towering spiders at this Museo del Corso show, almost all the works on display are accompanied by fascinating preparatory sketches and paintings made by the artists themselves.
